Raskin Runs the Show as Rangers Finally Find Their Ruthless Streak

It took 45 sluggish minutes and another dose of the usual Cyriel Dessers chaos, but Rangers finally clicked into gear at Ibrox yesterday, dispatching Aberdeen 4-0 with a second-half flurry that gave the fans something to cheer about in our final Saturday home game of the season.

The first half, frankly, was dire. Flat tempo, toothless in attack, and more of the same indecision in the final third that’s plagued us in too many home games this season. Despite Barry Ferguson naming an unchanged XI, the spark just wasn’t there early on.

Dessers had trademark moments – one glaring header sent wide, one offside run that ruled out a well-taken finish just before half-time amongst others. The frustration in the stands was real, and you’d have been forgiven for thinking we were in for another drab afternoon.

Aberdeen, to their credit, came out after the break with a bit more urgency and even rattled the woodwork through Keskinen. But that moment seemed to flick a switch – not in the visitors, but in Nicolas Raskin.

Raskin’s second-half performance was everything we’ve wanted from him in this up-and-down campaign. He dictated the tempo, found pockets of space, and carved open the Dons defence with two brilliant assists. First, he slipped in Vaclav Cerny – who was celebrating his 50th appearance – and the Czech finished with flair, using the outside of his boot to bend the ball past Mitov.

Minutes later, it was Raskin again, skipping past his man and putting it on a plate for Dessers, who couldn’t miss from two yards out (thankfully onside this time). That was assist number ten in a great campaign for the Belgian midfielder – and make no mistake, he was man of the match by a mile.

Then came the real moment of magic. Hamza Igamane – who replaced Bajrami at the break – lit up Ibrox with a dazzling display of footwork and confidence. His 20-yard volley for the third goal was sublime, and his movement gave Aberdeen’s backline nightmares. You could see defenders backing off him in fear every time he touched the ball.

To Ferguson’s credit, the tactical tweak to go two up top – with Dessers and Igamane leading the line and Cerny shifting centrally – changed everything. Cerny ended up grabbing a slice of fortune when his late strike deflected off Jefte and in, gifting the Brazilian his first Rangers goal.

But while fans left Ibrox happy with the result, there was an uneasy undertone post-match.

Barry Ferguson’s comments about Oscar Cortes didn’t go unnoticed. When asked why the Colombian wasn’t given even a few minutes in a game that was clearly won, the manager said:

There are a lot of players who are not getting much game time. But you need to earn your right to play. You just don’t play for the sake of playing. You have to earn the right to be in my team.

That sparked questions online – and not without cause. Cortes is 21, new to the country, adjusting to the language, and has endured a brutal injury layoff. His only football since returning was 45 minutes at Pittodrie. He was brought in as one of the brightest South American prospects, and the club made a significant financial outlay to get him. So why not offer support instead of piling pressure on a young player still finding his feet?

It feels like a missed opportunity to rebuild his confidence – and if his future is in Glasgow, why not do everything to help him succeed instead of adding to the noise?

Still, on the pitch, it was job done – eventually. Ferguson will be pleased with the second-half performance and how his players responded after a sloppy start. But the handling of fringe players and a few big decisions still hang in the air as we look toward a summer that promises change.

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